Introduction: 0:00
- Introducing two guests: Tommie Tavares-Ferreira, Senior Director, Head of Legal Operations at Cedar; and Tom Stephenson, VP of Community and Legal Operations at Legal.io.
- Co-hosting the Dear Legal Ops podcast and leading panel discussion at CLOC 2024.
Transitioning from paralegal to legal ops: 2:30
- Beginning your career as a legal receptionist and letting your ambition propel you to paralegal roles and beyond.
- Using your love language and professional emotional intelligence to find your purpose.
- Shining a light on various pathways that lead to legal operations.
Coming into legal ops from a contract management background: 5:22
- Developing your legal expertise through survival in a relentless position.
- Identifying your operational skill set and being guided by a GC to the legal ops department.
Shifting your mindset from legal specialization to business strategy: 8:38
- Balancing the need for developing new skills versus changing your mindset.
- Bringing your project management skill sets to the table as you run legal like a business.
- Prioritizing professional relationships and passing it on to future generations.
Debating whether legal ops is the right career path for everyone: 12:38
- Deciding whether to sacrifice subject matter expertise into a generalist business role.
- Advising people to do salary assessments as they consider what they want for their future.
Establishing trust with stakeholders across the broader business: 15:50
- Making sure you don’t overload your colleagues with meetings on day one.
- Leaning into your GC to find out who you need to talk to, hear from, and understand.
- Clarifying to business leaders that you’re interested in helping them achieve their goals.
Managing a legal ops department: 19:10
- Learning from coaches and colleagues that you admire.
- Taking a collaborative approach to working with both your staff and the broader organization.
- Helping your team members use their talents to meet their next career goals.
Maintaining a strong relationship with your general counsel: 23:59
- Becoming comfortable with honesty and vulnerability when talking with your GC.
- Planting the seeds of a good relationship during the interview process.
- Asking yourself whether you will be able to work alongside your manager.
- Making sure you work with a passionate leader and communicate your passions back to them.
Balancing your business expertise with your GC’s legal strategy: 31:01
- Opening up to your GC in order to become a trusted business partner.
- Finding the middle ground between strategy and minutiae.
- Integrating legal ops into the business by focusing on the needs of the executive team.
- Building bridges so CLOs and GCs can implement strategies.
The importance of placing the head of legal ops on the GC’s leadership team: 36:04
- Recognizing that you may still be succeeding in your role even though there are no opportunities to join leadership.
- Making a frictionless pathway to set a business-minded tone for your department.
- Emphasizing the value of sitting at the table in order to advocate your needs and showcase your wins.
Considering career moves beyond legal ops: 38:48
- Understanding your professional emotional intelligence and business acumen as keys to career success.
- Allowing your talents and passions to guide you to the next transition in your career.
Transitioning from legal ops to executive roles: 43:15
- Exploring legal pathways that don’t require a law degree.
- Leaning into your interests to discover a new profession within legal.
- Acknowledging the legal ops trailblazers who revolutionized the field and imaging where the role will go in the future.
Presenting at CLOC 2024: 49:11
- Tom Stephenson will be moderating a panel titled Building Bridges: Personal Branding for Career Progression.
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